These 11 innovative Burnley businesses have stormed a Top 50 list recognising Covid resilience

The first ever Forbes Solicitors Reinvention and Resilience Report details those North-West businesses that have innovated and diversified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Burnley businesses featured in the Top 50 are: Velocity Composites, What More UK, Panaz, Ellis’s, CheckedSafe, PM+M Solutions for Business, LPK Facilities Management, Fagan & Whalley, Key Digital, Bellyflop TV, and Jay-Care Stairlift and Mobility.

Almost all these businesses are Burnley Bondholders.

Other firms featured in the list that are not based in the town, but are still also bondholders, include BCN Group and Businesswise Solutions.This takes the number of Burnley Bondholders included in the top 50 to 12.

Rachel Bayley, Burnley Place Brand Manager, said: “We are thrilled that Burnley businesses make up such a large proportion of the Top 50 – especially as most of these are also Burnley Bondholders.

"From one-person bands to global names, everyone has rolled up their sleeves and pulled together during the past few months.

"It’s been a difficult time for many and we are under no illusion that recovery will be easy, but with the hard working nature and attitude of our town’s businesses, we know there will be more success stories to come.”

Case studies offering a look at how Burnley businesses proved innovative and resilient during the global pandemic can be viewed here.

One such study is Velocity Composites, who produced PPE for NHS workers.

In the first two months alone of lockdown, the aerospace products manufacturer had produced 8,000 face shields and 2,500 fluid protection gowns for the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Ellis’s restaurant in Standish Street launched collection and delivery services, as well as lockdown kits, so people could recreate their favourite meals from home.

The profit prevented the business from needing additional finance and plans are in place for a second site.

LPK Facilities Management usually provides building maintenance but switched its services to cold fogging decontamination to eliminate bacterial and viral infection on surfaces.

Another Burnley case study is Jay-Care Stairlift and Mobility, who changed all sales, no matter how small, to free home delivery.

Employees also worked seven days a week for 13 weeks due to an increase in demand, supporting NHS discharge and home support teams across East Lancashire.

As a result, the business saw record profit in July and is looking to expand to larger premises.

Oliver Burton, chief executive officer at Forbes Solicitors, said: “It’s clear that every facet of the North-West business community has been profoundly affected by Covid-19 and the subsequent national lockdown.

“However, what has clearly emerged from our top 50 research is the raft of companies that have used this as an opportunity to rethink their approach and strategy - whether it’s by responding to overnight demand quickly and effectively, coming up with new ways of working to deliver services in an innovative way, or by lowering their risk levels to continue investing in their business through either acquisition or expansion.”